Know Why Jagannath Temple In Odisha’s Puri Will Remain Closed For 6 Hours Today

Puri: Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri will remain out of bounds for devotees for six hours on Wednesday for two special rituals, Banakalagi Niti and wood replacement work in Anasara Pindi, which will be performed from 6 pm till midnight.

According to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), the Banakalagi Niti will start at 6 pm and will continue for four hours. It will be followed by Anasara Pindi work for two hours till midnight.

During the secret ritual of Banakalagi Niti or Shrimukha Sringara, fresh colours are applied to the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra inside the sanctum sanctorum. Dutta Mohapatra and Khadiprasad Daitapati servitors perform this ritual with natural colours prepared from herbs and other materials including ‘kasturi’, ‘harital’, ‘karpura’, ‘kesar’, ‘kalasankha’ and ‘dhalasankha’. It is performed 3 to 4 times in a year.

The Anasara Pindi work precedes the rituals performed on Debasnana Purnima when the sibling deities take a holy bath with 108 pitchers of herbal and aromatic water and then retire to Anasara Ghara (sick room) for 15 days before embarking on the annual Rath Yatra. The deities rest on the Anasara Pindi during this period known as Anasara Pakhya.

Rituals will be performed this evening to ready the place for the Lord’s stay during the Anasara Pakhya. “The Anasara Pindi where the deities are taken after Snana Jatra has two woods on which they rest. The wood on the right side of Anasara Pindi has become old and rotten and needs to be replaced. It will be done tonight by Viswakarmas under the supervision of Daitapatis,” informed senior servitor Binayak Das Mohapatra.

“The Banakalagi Niti usually takes 3-4 hours during which the temple is closed for devotees. But the temple will remain closed for another two hours today for the Anasara Pindi work,” he added.

The Anasara Pindi lies between the Kalahat door and the first door.